Overall View
A modern lightweight boot using a fabric outer with a Gore-Tex liner. Comfortable straight from the box, though slightly large for the size, and ideal for long wet grass. Not designed as a mountain boot but used in the right terrain and with a street price around £75 it's been a popular choice since its introduction in 2009
Real World Test
The Berghaus Explorer Light boot was comfortable straight from the box and the weight, or lack of it, was immediately noticeable. A few months down the line and used on the right terrain they're still like a pair of slippers.

As the snow fades into the memory it's time to pack away the winter kit and bring out your lighter clothes and boots. With Britain's unpredictable weather, where you can experience 4 seasons in a day, and mixed terrain, from canal towpaths to mountain ridges, finding a good all-round boot is essential. Of all the outdoor kit you use your boots will do the most miles and their performance will have the greatest impact on your enjoyment. As Spring takes hold we've taken a look at six of the best 3 season boots on the market this season.

Overall View
A solid performer designed for rough terrain and a lot of attention to comfort. Excellent tri-fit footbed and good shock absorption make the Altai ideal for long tracks while the Vibram Winkler sole gives good grip off-path.

Real World Test
The double bank holiday of late April and early may gave us the chance to put 100 miles under the soles of the Brasher Altai GTX to give them a decent test, but simultaneously brought us non stop sunshine and baked ground underfoot.

Overall View
A good all round boot for UK conditions if they fit your foot and you give them a bit of time to wear in. The Hillmaster is Britain's most popular boot for a reason. It's not radical, doesn't set any new boundaries, it just does what it's meant to do straight from the box and does it well. Classic brown leather and a proven history combine with membrane technology to give a comfortable, waterproof, classic 3 season boot.
Real World Test
It's not the first time I've used Brasher Hillmaster boots, they've been around for a long time, but it's been that long that I came to them effectively new. Although the latest incarnation of the Hillmaster looks reassuringly familiar, and classic, there's a few differences that don't take long to show. The new version is noticeably lighter than older versions and noticeably stiffer.

The new Hillmaster II GTX was launched last month at Wasdale Head and has seen a solid month of testing in pretty much every condition since launch. As a replacement for the Hillmaster it's got a lot to live up to but the tweaks and changes take nothing away from the old version but add improved fit and sole to the Mark II.
The most noticeable changes include a new, gender specific, last with slightly more volume at the widest part and a new sole unit. Combined with a subtle movement of the lower of three lace grips above the D rings the new last helps the wearer get a better fit and reduces heel lift that was a problem previously. The new sole unit has been a revelation in terms of its grip on wet grass and mud, although it's still not ideal on wet rock - though there's not many, if any, hillwalking boots capable of good grip across all terrains.

Overall View
Overall a very good 3 season boot ideally suited to trekking, and mountain walking in early spring and early winter.
Real World Test
Brasher traditionally favour a slightly wider fit so it came as a surprise that the Kanaga GTX initially felt slightly narrow. Despite this the upper also felt as though it overlapped the sole unit to the point of being unbalanced on first use. After a couple of uses, however, both the narrowness of the fit and the balance issues soon disappeared.

Overall View
A comfortable and supportive lightweight fabric boot for women, with great features, waterproofing and breathability for the UK hills and weather. The Brasher quality shines through in the construction, materials and sole used; the Kenai GTX are a great purchase for 3 season use.
Real World Test
Brasher's Kenai GTX boots are the women's version of the Kiso GTX boots, released for Spring / Summer 2011. They seem like a slightly more modern take on a classic boot style, with a lightweight fabric and suede upper with extra, what feels like rubberised, protection around the toe box and heel, a thick, padded memory foam collar and lined with GORE-TEX Extreme.

Overall View
A classic style lightweight fabric boot designed for the UK hills with a good combination of features for the price. As a 2/3 season boot they're a cut above your entry level alternatives and although not the cheapest lightweight boot around the Kiso GTX should give you a good return on your investment with Brasher's attention to build quality
Real World Test
Brasher's Kiso GTX boots for men are new for Spring/Summer 2011 and complemented by the women's Kenai GTX offer a classic styled lightweight, fabric, alternative to Brasher's more traditional leather boots. Based around a lightweight shock-absorbing EVA midsole with a suede and fabric upper the Kiso GTX sit nicely in the centre ground between entry level fabric boots and dedicated mountain boots.

Overall View
Brasher's new Kuga GTX is another addition to an already busy year of new models from this classic British company. As with the Kenai, Kanaga and Kiso the Kuga is very much "New Brasher" and a far cry from the traditional leather hiking boots their name has long been famous for. The Kuga GTX enters an already well stocked market but offers both muti terrain performance and looks that wouldn't look out of place around town.
Real World Test
When it comes to picking the right pair of boots or approach shoes the most impoistant thing is the fit of the boot or shoe. Surprisingly after the wonderful fit of the year's previous releases from Brasher the Kuga just didn't fit my foot quite right. It felt a little too constricted around the toes with what seemed like a slightly slimmer than standard fit. This wasn't a problem, however, it just meant the job of field testing went to a more sympathetically shaped foot - it helps to have several testers available! Once on the right feet the Kuga were put to work on everything from University campus to High Peak moorland.

The new Brasher Supalite Active GTX boots probably come closer to the original ethos of Chris Brasher himself, getting as close to the feel of a pair of trainers as any boot we've tested. Weight is one of the main issues when trying to make a boot feel like a trainer and at a touch over 1kg for a pair of 42s the Supalite Active GTX are about as close as you're going to get in a boot to the weight of a trainer.
Superficially it's difficult to see just where Brasher have saved the weight as the familiar features of boots coming out of the Sunderland based company over recent years all appear to be there. The recently introduced locking lace system, with its hook set further back, first seen in the Hillmaster II returns and the Wolverine pigskin suede and fabric panels provide a soft feel that can take some getting used to. The light weight and soft touch could easily introduce doubts over durability to the uninitiated and while the Supalite active GTX is never going to be a 4 season mountain boot they're certainly more capable than appearances would suggest.